Sliding hopper closure operating assembly



G. B. DOREY March 26, 1963 SLIDING HOPPER CLOSURE OPERATING ASSEMBLY 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 11, 1959 INVENTOR. 060(965. 170mg,

March 26, 1963 v a. B. DOREY SLIDING HOPPER CLOSURE OPERATING ASSEMBLY 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 11, 1959 INVENTOR.

G. B. DOREY March 26, 1963 SLIDING HOPPER CLOSURE OPERATING ASSEMBLY 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 11, 1959 March 26, 1963 GQB. DOREY SLIDING HOPPER CLOSURE OPERATING ASSEMBLY March 26, 1963 a. B. DOREY 3,082,701

SLIDING HOPPER CLOSURE OPERATING ASSEMBLY Filed March 11, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN VE NTOR WWW United States Patent Ofilice 3,382,7(91 Fatented Mar. 2%, 1R6?) 3,982,701 ELEBHQG BUFFER CLOSURE OPERATING ASSEMBLY George B. Dorey, Westmount, Quebec, Canada, assignmto Enterprise Railway Equipment Compmy, Chicago,

III., a corporation of Illinois Filed Mar. 11, 1959, Ser. No. 798,761 It) Claims. (Cl. 105--253) This invention relates to an improved hopper discharge outlet structure such as employed in railway hopper cars and the like for transporting bul k lading.

The objects of the invention, among others, are: To provide a discharge outlet having a sliding closure or gate with provision for a triple seal along the longitudinally extending side edges of the closure; to provide an improved winding link mechanism incorporating a plurality of links for translatorily moving the sliding closure gate in either direction; to provide a plurality of links adapted to function as a strut when in extended position; to provide a winding hub around which a plurality of links are adapted to wind with interlocking means for retaining the links in wound position until a predetermined extent of rotary movement of the shaft is attained; and to provide interlocking means for the linkages so related as to act as a pusher to initiate closing movement of the closure or gate.

The invention further resides in certain details of construction such as will be described hereinafter.

For further comprehension of the invention reference may be had to the accompanying drawings wherein the improvement is shown as applied to a railway hopper car and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a sectional view showing approximately one half of the lower part of the hopper applied to a railway car with the improved outlet shown in operative position.

FIGURE 2 is a vertical longitudinal side view of the outlet structure shown in FIGURE 1 on a line 2--2 of FIGURE 1 to show the parts with the main part of the operating head eliminated.

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the structure shown in FIGURE 2 with certain parts bro-ken away to illustrate better the structure and with the floors and side walls of the hopper eliminated.

FIGURE 4 is a vertical transverse sectional View through the hopper taken on a line 44 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 5 is a vertical transverse sectional view through the hopper taken on a line 55 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 6 is a vertical longitudinal extending section taken through the outlet structure on a line 66 of FIG- URE l and showing by conventional dot and dash lines the position of the closure or gate and operating mechanism when the closure or gate is in full open position.

FIGURE 7 is a vertical sectional view, similar to FIG- URE '6, except that the closure or gate is shown in partially open position with. the mechanism linkage partly wound.

FIGURE 8 is a vertical sectional view, similar to FIG- URE 6, except that the mechanism is shown with the interlocking lugs either entering or leaving the interlocking zone.

FIGURE 9 is still another vertical longitudinal sectional view, similar to FIGURE 6, except that the interlocking lug is in interlocking relation with the linkage.

FIGURE 10 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view, similar to FIGURES 6 to 9 inclusive, except that the parts are shown in a position which the linkage may assume during closing movement of the closure or gate upon encountering resistance to such movement.

FIGURE 11 is a detached plan view of the terminal link assembly.

FIGURE 12 is an end elevational view of the link assembly shown in FIGURE 11.

FIGURE 13 is a fractional vertical sectional view taken at one side of the outlet assembly showing the guide in relation to the runway, said view being taken on a line 13-13 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 14 is a View, partly in side elevation and partly in section, of the structure shown in FIGURE 13.

In said drawings the car structure is shown in FIGURE 1 by a center sill 1t) and a side wall 11, including a side frame member 11a, and interposed between them is a hopper that is indicated, generally, by the numeral 12. In practice it will be understood that hoppers are disposed on opposite sides of the center sill It! in transversely aligned relation. Inasmuch as such hoppers are of similar construction, the description herein will be confined to only one hopper.

The hopper 12 includes oppositely sloping floors 13 and 14 which meet with inner and outer sides walls indicated at 15 and 16 to form the four-sided hopper 12 having a discharge opening 17. The discharge opening 17 is closed by a sliding closure or gate 18 which is preferably formed of a. central platelike section 19 flanged upwardly at one end, as at 20, and fitted at each side with upstanding flanges iii-21 thus forming a threesided pan-shaped structure.

The discharge opening 17 is surrounded by a. frame 22 which includes side members 23 and 24 and transversely extending members 25, 26 and 27. The side members 23 and 24 include vertical wall sections 2311 and 24a. Side member 23 is formed with an outwardly sloping upper section 23b which underlies the hopper outer side wall 15. Side member 24- extends upwardly vertically to overlie the inner side wall 15 of the hopper 12. The end wall 25 likewise includes an outwardly sloping section 25a which underlies a sloping frame wall 29 and is secured thereto by welding as indicated at 30. The transverse member 26 extends at an angle above the closure or gate 18 to underlie the hopper sloping floor 13. The lower margin 31 of the transverse member 26 constitutes the upper boundary of a slot 32 through which the closure or gate 18 moves between open and closed positions. The lower boundary of the slot 32 is formed by the transverse member 27 which is of generally angle shape with one wall 27a sloping downwardly to form substantially a continuation of transverse member 26 and the other wall 27b underlying the closure or gate 18.

Runways 35 and 36 are carried by the side members 23 and 2'4, as shown in FIGURE 5, to underlie the closure or gate 18 and in alignment therewith there is an end ledge 37 carried by the end member 25. The runways 35 and 36 slope downwardly to permit gravity to bias the closure or gate 18 towards closed position. The closure or gate 18, when in closed position as seen in FIGURE 6, thus rests at the sides on the runways 35 and 36 and at the ends on end ledge 37 and wall 27b of the transverse member 27. There is thereby provided a seal around the four sides of the opening 17 to prevent leakage of lading and entry of moisture. The sealing security is further enhanced by the provision of the side flanges Z1-21 on the closure or gate 18 in combination with lengthwise inclined sloping floor plates 38 and 39 which are welded to and extend from the side members 23 and 24 above the flanges 21-21 and overlie the same as will be noted by reference to FIGURES 4 and 5. At the leading end 18a :of the closure or gate 18, the end sloping frame wall 2% is extended to lie thereabove when the closure or gate 18 is in closed position, as shown in FlGURE 6.

The underside of the transverse member 26 is reinforced by an angle shaped member 40 which is disposed with one wall 41 welded to the underside of wall 26 and the adjacent wall 42 extending above the upstanding flange of the closure or gate 18 to form a shield. The closure or gate 18, as will be best seen by reference to FIGURES 6 to 10 inclusive, is arranged to move at an incline to open position and rides on extension runways 43-43 which are preferably of angle shape including flanges 44 and 45. The extension runways 43-43 are disposed with the flanges 44 overlying the respective walls 23 and 24 and with the flanges 45, on which the closure or gate 18 slides, forming continuations of the respective runways and 36. The extension runways 4-3-43 are secured in place by welding to the inner sides of the side walls 23 and 24 as indicated at 46 and 47. The flanges are inturned and embraced by guiding brackets 48 on opposite sides of the trailing end 18b of the gate or closure 18 as best seen in FIGURES 13 and 14. The brackets 48 preferably consist of notched plates having one wall 49 welded to the upstanding flange 29 of the closure or gate 18 and having another wall 50 extending beneath the flange 45 of the respective extension runway 43.

The mechanism for moving the closure or gate 18 includes a rotatable shaft 51 journaled in bearings 52-52 which, in turn, are carried at the outer ends of the extension runways 43-43. Each bearing 52 preferably consists of a short length of hollow steel tubing welded at 53 to an arcuate opening in the vertical wall 44 of the respective runway 43. Since the shaft 51 is square in cross section, annular bearing members 52a having correspondingly shaped central openings are provided on the shaft 51 to journal it in the bearings 52. The shaft 51 is fitted with a pair of arms 54-54 which are nonrotatably mounted thereon and disposed in axially spaced relation to lie adjacent the extension runways 43-43 as seen in FIGURE 3. Extending in the opposite direction from the arms 54-54 are lugs 55 which are preferably formed integrally with the arms 5454 and for a purpose which will be pointed out hereinafter. The arms 54-54 are connected with the closure or gate 18 by means of linkages including terminal links 56-56 and intermediate links 57-57 pivotally uniting the terminal links 56-56 and the arms 54-54. As shown in FIG- URE 11, the terminal links 56-56 are preferably disposed in pairs and are united by hollow ferrules 58 of circular section. The ferrules 58 and terminal links 56 are united in pairs by welding as at 59. The respective pairs of terminal links '56, which are spaced to lie in aligned relation with the axially spaced arms 5%, are united by a plate member 66 which is welded to the terminal links as at 61 and seen by reference to FIGURE 12. The intermediate links 57-57 also are arranged in pairs to embrace the terminal links 56-56 and arms 54-54 and are pivotally connected therewith by pivot pins indicated at 63 and 64 respectively. The connections between the terminal links 56-56 and the closure or gate 18 are effected by pivot pins 65-65 which extend through pairs of lugs 66-66 which in turn are welded at 67 to the upstanding flange 20 of the closure or gate 18.

In order to prevent over-center knuckling of the linkages, the ends of the plate member are extended to provide abutmentls 68 for engagement with the outer links of the intermediate links 57-57 as seen by reference to FIGURE 3. Additional abutments 69 extend from the arms 54-54 to overlie the other ends of the pairs of intermediate links 57-57. A further safeguard against over-center knuckling of the linkages is provided by a tie member 70 secured to and extending transversely between the extension runways 43-43. The tie member 70 forms a seat for the pairs of intermediate linkages 57-57.

The pivot pins 63, 64 and are preferably in the form of headless pins which are welded at their respective ends to the associated link members as shown at 71, 72 and '73 in FIGURE 6.

The linkages formed by the arms 54-54 and links 56-56 and 57-57, as best seen in FIGURE 6, assume a straight line toggle locked position to maintain the closure or gate 18 in closed position. The longitudinal axes of the pivot pins 63, 64 and 65 lie along a strai ht line 74 that extends through the axis of rotation of the shaft 51. By reason of the downwardly inclined runways 35 and 36 and the weight of the terminal links 56-56, the closure or gate 18 is biased to closed position particularly under running and bumping shocks.

It will be noted in FIGURE 9 that the lugs 55-55 on the arms 54-54 prevent undue unwinding movement of the linkages during rotation of the shaft 51 in counterclockwise direction to initiate the closing movement of the closure or gate 18 inasmuch as the lugs 55-55 interlock with the terminal links 56-56. The lugs 55-55 at the start of the unwinding movement of the linkage, as shown by dotted lines in FIGURE 6, actually operate as pushers and react through the ferrules 58 and lugs 66 against the trailing end 18b of the closure or gate 18 to move the same until such time as the terminal links 56-56 abut the upwardly extending flange 20 of the closure or gate 18, FIGURE 9, whereupon the intermediate links 57-57 pivot about the pivot pins 63 and further closing movement of the closure or gate 18 is effected by angular variation between the intermediate links 57-57 and the arms 54-54. Upon continued rotation of the shaft 51 in the counterclockwise direction, the tendency is for the terminal links 56-56 and the intermediate links 57-57 to assume a straight line position shown in FIGURE 7 with the longitudinal axes of the pivot pins 63, 64 and 65 located along a straight line 75. Should resistance be encountered in the closing movement of the closure or gate 18 owing to clogging by lading or other causes, then the links 56-56 and 57-57 may assme the positions shown in FIGURE 10 before the final closed position, as shown in FIGURE 6, is reached.

The shaft 51 is operated through an operating head 76 having a plurality of opening sockets 77 for receiving a removable operating bar indicated conventionally at '73. The operation through the medium of the operating shaft 51 obtains the full effect of a toggle action providing greatly multiplied eificiency at the end of the closing operation of the closure or gate 18 to force the leading edge 18a of the latter into tight sealing engagement against the inner face 78' of the transverse member 25.

The mechanism for moving the closure or gate 18 and its operation may be best understood by following the sequence of operations involved in opening and closing the same. Assuming the parts positioned, as shown in FIGURES 2 and 6, opening movement of the closure or gate 18 is effected by rotation of the shaft 51 in a clockwise direction. The terminal links 56-56 and intermediate links 57-57 retain their relative positions as seen in FIGURE 7 during a partial rotation of the shaft 51 in the direction indicated by arrow 79. Upon continued rotation of the shaft 51 in the clockwise direction, the intermediate links 57-57 are brought into engagement with the shaft 51 and the terminal links 56-56 and intermediate links 57-57 then swing about pivot pins 63, as seen in FIGURE 8. The lugs 55-55 on the arms 54-54 then swing past the ferrules 58 between the terminal link 56-56 until such time that the lugs 55-55 are brought into interlocking relation with the terminal links 56-56 as seen in FIGURE 9. The rotation of the shaft 51 is then continued until full opened position of the closure or gate 18 is attained. This is shown by conventional dot and dash lines in FIGURE 6 where it will be noted that in this position the closure or gate 18 has moved above and beyond the operating shaft 51 and completely out of the discharge opening 17.

The closing operation is effected by rotation of the shaft 51 in a counterclockwise direction. Assuming the linkages to be in the position as indicated by eonven tional dot and dash lines in FIGURE 6, the links 5656 and 5757 are retained in interlocked position by reason of the lugs 55-f55 on the arms 545-4 acting on the hollow ferrules SSS-58 between the pairs of terminal links 5656 and operating as a pusher as seen in FIG- URE 9. As rotational movement of the shaft 51 in a counterclockwise direction continues, the lugs 55--55 move past the ferrules 5858, as seen in FIGURE 8, and thereafter the linkages open out either as shown in FIG- URE 7 or in FiGURE l0 and as heretofore described.

A discharge chute (not shown) can be detachably mounted in conventional manner in grooves 80 and 81 formed in a supporting structure 82 secured to the side member 24 and transverse member 27. Such a chute can be clamped to outstanding flanges 83 and 84 on the transverse member 25 and side member 23.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In a hopper having a discharge opening and a closure slidably mounted thereon for closing the opening, means for moving said closure including: a shaft, means mounting said shaft on said hopper for rotation about an axis fixed with respect to said hopper, arm means non-rotatably secured to and extending radially from said shaft, terminal linkage secured to said closure and intermediate link means pivotally connected at one end with said arm means and at the opposite end with said terminal linkage; and lug means non-rotatably secured to said shaft and adapted to interlock with said terminal linkage and to restrain the unwinding movement of said link means and terminal linkage during a predetermined extent of rotary movement of said shaft.

2. The invention, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the lug means acts as a pusher to initiate closing movement of the closure.

3. A discharge outlet assembly comprising, in combination, a foursided chute-like enclosure defining a discharge opening, a sliding gate for said opening, said gate projecting beyond one of the sides of said enclosure to provide a portion projecting beyond said one side when said gate is in closed position, runways on opposite sides of said enclosure extending toward each other on which said gate is movable, said runways extending outwardly of said one side of said enclosure for supporting said gate in open position; and mechanism acting on the projecting end of said gate for moving it between open and closed positions including a shaft rotatably mounted on said runways adjacent the distal ends thereof and having arm means fixedly mounted thereon, terminal link means pivoted at one end to said projecting end of said gate, and intermediate link means pivoted at one end to the other end of said terminal link means and at the other end to said arms means, the pivot axis between said arm means and said intermediate link means passing through the path of movement of said gate during a portion of its movement between open and closed positions.

4. The invention, as set forth in claim 3, wherein the intermediate link means is arranged and adapted to fold over the shaft when the gate is moved thereby to open position and the terminal link means has limited downward swinging movement to compensate for variations in the distance between said gate and said intermediate link means as the latter fold over the shaft.

5. The invention, as set forth in claim 3,- wherein the intermediate link means and the terminal link means are arranged and adapted to fold over the shaft as a result of rotation of said shaft in a direction to move said gate to open position and are movable when said shaft is rotated in the opposite direction to present a straight line thrust between the axis of rotation of said shaft and the pivotal connection between said terminal link means and said gate in closed position to retain it in closed position.

6. The invention, as set forth in claim 5, wherein stops are provided between the intermediate link means and the terminal link means and the arm means to limit the relative movement thereof in closing the gate.

7. The invention, as set forth in claim 3, wherein the arm means comprises a pair of arms in spaced relation and extending radially from the shaft, the terminal link means comprises a pair of terminal links in aligned relation to said arms, means rigidly interconnecting said terminal links whereby they swing in unison, and the intermediate link means comprises a pair of intermediate links individual to the respective terminal links and arms and pivotally connected thereto.

8. The invention, as set forth in claim 3, wherein the shaft is mounted on the runways below the path of movement of the gate, the intermediate and terminal link means are arranged and adapted to fold over said shaft as a result of rotation thereof in a direction to move said gate to open position and to jack-knife and assume a substantially straight line of thrust between the axis of rotation of said shaft and the pivotal connection between said terminal link means and said gate in closed position when said shaft is rotated in the opposite direction to close said gate, and stop means are provided adjacent the pivotal connection at each end of said intermediate link means and coact respectively with said terminal link means and the arm means for limiting the pivotal movement of said link means in the closed position of said gate and maintaining said link means and said arm means in said straight line of thrust relation.

9. The invention, as set forth in claim 8, wherein the terminal link means is swingable upwardly to engage the gate and function as a longitudinal extension thereof as said gate approaches its fully closed position.

10. The invention, as set forth in claim 8, wherein the terminal link means is swingable downwardly to allow movement of the gate beyond the shaft as said gate is moved to its fully open position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 609,816 Kramer Aug. 30, 1898 644,890 Bellows Mar. 6, 1900' 812,783 Campbell Feb. 13, 1906 962,465 Quinn June 28, 1910 998,326 Coleman July 18, 1911 1,108,769 Lively Aug. 25, 1914 1,270,005 Clark June 18, 1918 1,378,216 Christianson May 17, 1921 1,956,310 Boyd Apr. 24, 1934 2,317,007 Weniger Apr. 20, 1943 2,738,734 Dorey Mar. 20, 1956 2,859,707 Dorey Nov, 11, 1958 

3. A DISCHARGE OUTLET ASSEMBLY COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A FOURSIDED CHUTE-LIKE ENCLOSURE DEFINING A DISCHARGE OPENING, A SLIDING GATE FOR SAID OPENING, SAID GATE PROJECTING BEYOND ONE OF THE SIDES OF SAID ENCLOSURE TO PROVIDE A PORTION PROJECTING BEYOND SAID ONE SIDE WHEN SAID GATE IS IN CLOSED POSITION, RUNWAYS ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID ENCLOSURE EXTENDING TOWARD EACH OTHER ON WHICH SAID GATE IS MOVABLE, SAID RUNWAYS EXTENDING OUTWARDLY OF SAID ONE SIDE OF SAID ENCLOSURE FOR SUPPORTING SAID GATE IN OPEN POSITION; AND MECHANISM ACTING ON THE PROJECTING END OF SAID GATE FOR MOVING IT BETWEEN OPEN AND CLOSED POSITIONS INCLUDING A SHAFT ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID RUNWAYS ADJACENT THE DISTAL ENDS THEREOF AND HAVING ARM MEANS FIXEDLY MOUNTED THEREON, TERMINAL LINK MEANS PIVOTED AT ONE END TO SAID PROJECTING END OF SAID GATE, AND INTERMEDIATE LINK MEANS PIVOTED AT ONE END TO THE OTHER END OF SAID TERMINAL LINK MEANS AND AT THE OTHER END TO SAID ARMS MEANS, THE PIVOT AXIS BETWEEN SAID ARM MEANS AND SAID INTERMEDIATE LINK MEANS PASSING THROUGH THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF SAID GATE DURING A PORTION OF ITS MOVEMENT BETWEEN OPEN AND CLOSED POSITIONS. 